Locomotive driver brake



April 13, 1937. FRANKUN 2,076,766

LOCOMOTIVE DR I VER BRAKE Filed Nov. 13, 1936 INVENTOR PHILIP FRANKLIN ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE DRIVER BRAKE Philip Franklin, Kings Cross, London, England,

' assignor to The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 13, 1936, Serial No. 110,629

' In Great Britain November 9, 1935 16 Claims. (Cl. 188-54) This invention relates to brake rigging for railmediate the wheels I and 2 and substantially way vehicles and more particularly to that type in the horizontal plane extending through the of brake rigging in which there are two brake axes of these wheels. blocks or shoes located between two adjacent The lever 4 projects above the pin 6 and has.

wheels on each side of the vehicle, and in which pivotally secured thereon a brake head 8 which 5 the brake blocks or shoes between two adjacent carries a brake shoe which is adapted to engage wheels are so arranged that one is movable into the tread of the wheel I in a zone located ver-j and out of braking engagement with one of the tically above the horizontal plane extending wheels and the other is movable into and out through the axes of the wheels I and 2. The

of braking engagement with the other of the lever 5 has a brake head 9 pivotally secured 10 wheels. thereon at a point beneath the pin 6, and this In some recent designs of railway vehicles, brake head carries a brake shoe adapted to ensuch for instance as locomotives, the adjacent gage the tread of the wheel 2 in a zone located wheels at each side of the vehicle are arranged vertically beneath the horizontal plane extend- 1 5 so close together-as to preclude the use of the ing through the axes of the wheels.

usual well known arrangement of brake shoes The lever 5 extends beneath the pin 6 a someand brake shoe controlling levers of a brake rigwhat shorter distance than the lever 4, and has ging of the above mentioned type. pivotally secured to the lower end thereof by The principal object of the invention is to means of a pin Ill, an equalizing member Iii, provide an improved brake rigging of the above which has pivotally connected to the other end mentioned type which is so constructed and the thereof by means of a pin I4, a link I6, which parts thereof so arranged that it will be free of is connected to the lower end of the lever 4 by the above objection. means of the pin I8.

A further object of the invention is to provide The equalizing member I2 has pivotally seas improved brake rigging adapted to enable the cured thereto intermediate the pins l0 and I4 5 use of a plurality of brake shoes on each of the a brake applying member in the form of a brake wheels of a vehicle having a series of closely pull rod 20. spaced wheels. The brake equipment is shown in Fig. 1 in This object I attain by locating two brake the release position, and on an application of blocks or shoes between the treads of two adjathe brakes the brake pull rod 20 is moved to cent wheels on each side of the vehicle and spacthe right, as viewed in the drawing, thereby moving them apart vertically in staggered relationing the equalizing member l2 and the lower ends ship with each other and arranging them prefof the levers 4 and 5 to the right. erably one above and the other below a hori- On this movement of the levers 4 and 5 the zontal plane extending through the axes of the brake heads 8 and 9 are moved closer to the 35 wheels and providing a compact lever arrangetread of the wheels I and 2, respectively. On ment for actuating the brake blocks or shoes. engagement of the shoe carried by either of the Other objects of the invention and features brake heads with the rim of the wheel with which of novelty will be apparent from the following it is associated further movement of the lever description taken in connection with the acoomon which this shoe is carried is prevented, and panying drawing, in which, on further movement of the brake pull rod 20 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a vehicle proto the right the equalizing member I2 pivots vided with one form of brake rigging embodying about the pin by which is connected to this lever my invention, and and moves the other of the levers in the direc- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing tion to press the shoe carried thereby into en- 45 a modified form of brake rigging embodying this gagement with the tread of the wheel with which invention. it is associated. On movement of this shoe into Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing there is engagement with the wheel further movement illustrated therein portions of two adjacent of this lever is prevented and force exerted by.

wheels, I and 2, which may be the driving wheels the pull rod 20 on the equalizing member I2 is 50 of a locomotive. The brake apparatus provided transmitted through this member to the levers by this invention comprises a pair of levers 4 4 and 5 to press the brake shoes carried by the and 5 which are pivotally supported on a pin 6. brake heads 8 and 9 against the treads of the The pin 6 is rigidly supported by a rigid part wheels I and 2.

55. I of the locomotive structure, at a point inter- The various elements of the brake equipment are arranged and proportioned so that on an application of the brakes substantially equal forces are exerted on the brake shoes to press them against the treads of the wheels.

On the release of the brakes following an ap plication, a release spring, not shown, incorporated in the brake rigging moves the pull rod to the left, as viewed in the drawing, thereby moving the lower ends of the levers 4 and. 5 to the left and causing the brake heads I! and 9 to be moved away from the'rims of the wheels I and 2, respectively.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing there is illustrated a modified form of brake rigging embodying my invention. This brake rigging is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and comprises levers 4a and 5a which are pivotally mounted-on,

a fixed pin 6, which is supported by a rigid part I of the locomotive structure at a point intermediate the wheels I and 2 and substantially in the horizontal plane extending through the axes of these wheels.

The lever 4a projects above thepin 6 and has pivotally supported thereona brake head 8a which carries a. brake shoe which is adapted to engage the rim of the wheel I in a zone located vertically above the horizontal plane extending through the axes of the wheels I and 2, while the lever So has. pivotally mounted thereon a brake head 9a which carries a brake shoe which is adapted to engage'the rim of the wheel 2 in a zone located vertically beneath the horizontal plane extending through the axes of these wheels.

In this embodiment of the invention the lever 4a extends beneath the pin 6 asomewhat shorter distance than thelever 5a and has pivotally secured to the lowerend thereof by means of a pin IOa, an equalizing member I2a towhich is connected by means of a pin Ha, a link I6, while the other end of this link is connected by means of a pin I8ato the lower end of thelever 5w.

7 A brake applying member in the form of a pull rod 20 is connected to the equalizing member- I2a atv a point intermediate the pins Illa and He."

The operation of this embodimentof the invention is substantially the same as that'shown in- Fig. l of the drawing,- and on an application of the'brakes the brake pull rod-20 is moved to V the right, as viewed in the drawing; thereby exerting force through the equalizing member I2a to move the levers 4a and 5a to press the brake shoes carried thereby into engagement with the rims of the; wheels I and 2 with substantially equal force. It will be apparent that either of the above described brake arrangements may be reversed about both a horizontal and vertical line passing through the fixed axis fi so that the ends of the hanger levers at which the braking force is applied extend upwardly instead of downwardly.

Each of the embodiments of the invention is shown in connection with two adjacent wheels, but it will be understood that if the locomotive has more than two driving wheels, similar brake rigging-maybe provided between each of the adjacent Wheels. a

Whiletwo illustrative embodiments of the improved brake riggingprovided by my invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these details of construction and that numerous changes and modifications may be Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: a

1. In a brake equipment for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extending between adjacent wheels and'pivotal about an axis intermediate said wheels, one of said mem bers carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone vertically above said axis,

the other of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of the said wheels in a zone vertically beneath said axis, an equalizing element pivotally connected to said first named member at a point. thereon a given distance, from said axis and pivotally connected to 4 said second named member at a point thereon. less distant from said axis and said givendistance, and a brake applying member operating through said equalizing element to move said members to press wheels.

2. In a brake equipment for a vehicle having the brake shoes against the a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extending between adjacent wheels and pivotal about an axis intermediate said wheels, one of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone located vertically. above said axis, the other of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of, said Wheels in a zone located vertically beneath said axis, and common means for moving saidmembers about said axisto press said shoes against the wheels. s

g 3. In a brake equipmentiora vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extende ing between adjacent wheels andpivotal about axis intermediate said wheels and substantially in the horizontal plane extending through the y axes of the said wheels, one of said members car rying a brake shoe adapted to engageone of said;

wheels in a zone located vertically above saidaxis, the other of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of said wheels. in a zone located vertically beneath said axls,yand

common means for moving said members about said axis to press said shoes against the wheels.

4. In a brake equipment for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extending between adjacent wheels and pivotal about an axis intermediate said wheels, one of said members carryinga brake shoe adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone located vertically above said axis; the other of said members carrying a nection of said element'with said member and said link for effecting movement of said members to press the brake shoes against the wheels.

5. In a brake equipment for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extending between adjacent wheels and pivotal about an axis intermediate said wheels, one of said members carrying a brake shoe, adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone located ver tically above said axis, the other of said mem bers carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of said wheels in a zone located vertically beneath said axis, an equalizing e1ementpivotally connected-to said members as points spaced aunequakdistances from :saidaxis, and a brake bers carrying a brake shoe adaptedto engage the other of said wheels in a zone located vertically beneath said axis, an equalizing element pivotally connected to said members at points spaced unequal distances from said axis, and

means acting through said equalizing element to move said members to press said Shoes againstthe-wheels.

I. In brake equipment for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a pair of members extending between adjacent wheels and, pivotal about an axis intermediate said wheels, one of said members carrying a brakeshoe adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone located vertically above said axis, the other of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of said wheels in a zone located vertically beneath said axis, an equalizing element pivotally connected to one of said members at a. point spaced from said axis and pivotally connected through a link to the other of said members at a point spaced from said first named point, and a brake applying member pivotally connected to said equalizing element at a point intermediate the points of connection of said equalizing element with said member.

8. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a pair of members pivotally movable about a fixed axis located intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, one of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage one of said wheels in a zone vertically above the horizontal plane extending through the axes of said wheels, the other of said members carrying a brake shoe adapted to engage the other of the said wheels in a zone vertically beneath said plane, and means to move said members in the same direction about said axis and thereby press the brake shoes against the rails.

9. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum intermediate its ends and intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a brake shoe operatively by one end of said lever into and out of braking engagement with one of said wheels, a second hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum at one end, a brake shoe arranged in a different horizontal plane from that of the first mentioned brake shoe and operatively connected to the second mentioned hanger lever intermediate the ends of the lever for movement into and out of braking engagement with the other of said wheels, and an equalizing lever connected to both of said hanger levers and operable to actuate said hanger levers.

10. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum in termediate its ends and intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a brake shoe operative by a brakeshoe arranged in a different horizontal :plane from that of the first mentioned brake shoe and operatively connected to the second mentioned hanger lever intermediate the ends "of the lever for movement into and out of braking engagement with the other of said wheels,

and an equalizing lever connected to both of said hanger levers: and operable to actuate said hangerievers, one end of said equalizing lever being directly connected to one of said hanger levers and being connected to the other of said hanger levers through a link.

11. In a brake rigging adapted for use on -a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum interniediate its ends and intermediate adjacent ones of .said wheels, a brake shoe operative by one end of said lever into and out of braking engagement with one of said wheels, a second hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum at one end,

brake shoe arranged in a differenthorizontal plane from that of the first mentioned brake shoe and-operatively connected to the second mentioned hanger lever intermediate the ends of the lever for movement into and'out of braking engagement with the other of said Wheels, and an equalizing lever connected to both of said hanger levers and operable to actuate said hanger levers, said equalizing lever forming an end extension for one of said hanger levers, and a link operatively connecting the equalizing lever and the other of said hanger levers.

12. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum intermediate its ends and intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a brake shoe operative by one end of said lever into and out of braking engagement with one of said wheels, a second hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum at one end, a brake shoe arranged in a difi'erent horizontal plane from that of the first mentioned brake shoe and operatively connected to the second mentioned hanger lever intermediate the ends of the lever for movement into and out of braking engagement with the other of said wheels, and an equalizing lever connected to both of said hanger levers and operable to actuate said hanger levers, said equalizing lever being directly connected to the first mentioned hanger lever and being connected to the other hanger lever through a link.

13. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum intermediate its ends and intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a brake shoe operative by one end of said lever into and out of braking engagement with one of said wheels, a second hanger lever having a fixed fulcrum at one end, a brake shoe arranged in a different horizontal plane from that of the first mentioned brake shoe and operatively connecter to the second mentionedhang'er lever intermediate the ends of theleverformovement into and out of braking engagement with the other of said wheels, and an equalizing lever connected to both of said hanger levers and operable to actuate said hanger levers, said equalizing lever being directly connected to the second mentioned hanger lever and being connected to the other hanger lever through a link.

14. In a brake rigging adapted for use ona vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination,

a fixed fulcrum member disposed intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said member, a second vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally mounted at one end on'said member, a brake shoe located between said wheels and above said fulcrum member operative by the first mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with one of said wheels, a brake shoe located between said wheels and below said fulcrum member operative by the second mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with the other of said wheels, and means common to both hanger levers for actuating said levers.

15. In a brake rigging adapted for use on a vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, -a fixed fulcrum member disposed intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a vertically disposed hanger leverpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said member, a second vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally mounted at one end on said member a brake shoe located between said wheels and above said fulcrum member operative by the first mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with one of said wheel's, a brake shoe located between said wheels and below said fulcrum member operative by the second mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with the other of said wheels, and means located below the lowest of said brake shoes for actuating said hanger levers.

16. In a brake rigging adapted for use ona vehicle having a series of wheels, in combination, a fixed fulcrum member disposed intermediate adjacent ones of said wheels, a vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said member a second vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally mounted at-one end on said member, a brake shoe located between said wheels and above said fulcrum member operative by the first mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with one of said wheels, a

brake shoe located between said wheels andbelow said fulcrum member operative by the second i mentioned hanger lever into braking engagement with the other of said wheels, a substantially ver-" tically disposed lever directly connected tdthe lower end of one of said hanger levers and forming an end extension therefor, a link operatively connecting the equalizing lever and the lower' end of the other hanger lever, and means for actuating said equalizing lever and thereby said hanger lever and associated brake shoes.

PHILIP FRANKLIN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 25076,?66. April 13, 1937.

PHILIP FRANKLIN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 59, claim 9, for the word "operatively" read. operative; and second column, line 65, claim 13, for "connecter" read connected; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of May, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

